Rio's warning for England

RIO Ferdinand has admitted it would be "a catastrophe" if England failed to reach next summer's European Championships. Ferdinand has enough unhappy experiences of the tournament already, having been left out of Kevin Keegan's squad for the ill-fated Euro 2000 finals campaign, then being banned four years later in the aftermath of his missed drugs test.

RIO Ferdinand has admitted it would be "a catastrophe" if England failed to reach next summer's European Championships.

Ferdinand has enough unhappy experiences of the tournament already, having been left out of Kevin Keegan's squad for the ill-fated Euro 2000 finals campaign, then being banned four years later in the aftermath of his missed drugs test.

Understandably, the Manchester United defender is eager to avoid a miserable Euro hat-trick, although that would be the gloomy scenario awaiting him if England fail to muster positive results against Israel and Russia at Wembley over the next week.

Steve McClaren's men currently lie fourth in Group E, two places behind Saturday's opponents Israel. And, with Frank Lampard, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney definitely out, plus major fitness doubts surrounding Steven Gerrard and Owen Hargreaves, the position is hardly encouraging.

Yet Ferdinand is confident England will eventually reach Austria and Switzerland next summer and is refusing to even think about the alternative.

"I cannot even contemplate not qualifying," he said. "If, God forbid, we failed, it would be a catastrophe; a massive disappointment for us, the fans and the country as a whole.

"But we have four of our last five games at home, so we couldn't ask to be in a better position and we have a great opportunity in front of us."

Yet, while England are only two games into life at the new Wembley, they have yet to record a win, albeit in meetings against heavyweight duo Brazil and Germany.

The home fans are still to be convinced about the merits of manager McClaren or his team. And while the boos which accompanied the final whistle of the defeat to Germany last month were nowhere near to the unprecedented levels of abuse McClaren suffered in Barcelona last March, they do suggest an undercurrent of dissatisfaction if England do not start positively against a notoriously obdurate Israel outfit on Saturday.

"The fans pay their money to get through the doors, so they can show their frustrations in any way they want," said Ferdinand. "But we do need them behind us on Saturday, so it is up to us to play the football to get them there."